Active duty personnel (enlisted or officer) who hold a minimum of a bachelor degree are eligible to teach courses on deployment. Park likes to have potential faculty at least 2 – 3 months prior to departure. Individuals are asked to put in justifications for introductory level courses within the discipline of their respective majors. The application process is otherwise the same as normal adjunct faculty except those teaching with a bachelor degree will later be assigned an academic advisor to aid in the planning and teaching of courses.

Once instructor approvals are returned from the main campus, Park and the instructors begin to put together a schedule of courses for the individual ships and/or destinations. Once we have a completed schedule, or a partial schedule we will begin registering students prior to/during deployment. Textbooks will also be made available for ordering prior to departure, but can also be ordered from the ship, etc. In the event that registration can not be completed or instructor approvals are still pending, we can add classes to the schedule and register students even after the deployment has begun. Communication is fairly regular through email and regular mail. The classes can be completed during the span of the deployment in a schedule that is convenient to the instructors and students. For deployment classes, it is required that there be 48 contact hours for instructional time.

For administrative details, we (Park University, MCAS Cherry Point) will have tuition assistance issued on behalf of the students once we receive a request for TA. In addition, we will put together grade and attendance rosters for the instructors based on the registration paperwork we received. Instructors will compare our list to those in their classes and adjustments will be made until everything is matched up. Students who have to drop courses due to operational commitments are not required to pay a drop fee. In addition, there is no application fee for students taking deployed classes.

*Info from Ivy Prior, Campus Director, Park university at Cherry Point, (252 )466-2655 or (252) 447-0461

Disclaimer: These instructions apply to Active Duty Military and DoD Civilians deploying with a unit. Administrative procedures are handled differently when taking Park University courses on your home installation.

Once the deploying unit’s roster is stabilized, our Deployment Program representative will begin canvassing the respective units for instructor interest and availability. It is recommended that all possible adjunct faculty applicants submit their application as early as possible to ensure approval in a timely manner. We encourage all applicants to be approved at least eight (8) weeks prior to the unit’s departure from the installation.

Park University (Main Campus) will review each instructor (adjunct faculty) application and certify the instructor to teach specific courses before deployment. In the event the applicant only holds an undergraduate degree, he will be approved to teach a specific lower division course within his degree area. An adjunct faculty member of record will be assigned to the instructor to ensure proper orientation and guidance for the instruction of the specified course. The adjunct faculty of record will provide a sample syllabus and will be available for advice and consultation before the instructor deploys.

We (Park) can send, or you can pick up, any number of applications that you might need. We have made the process as simple as possible. Instructors will be paid for instructing; Professional quality instruction is demanded. To do the quality work which is required, you’ll be putting in quite a few hours of preparation. Pay will be held until your return because all required paperwork must be completed for all the classes taught in the unit. Disbursement of paychecks is usually within 4 weeks of your return. The following is a must for anyone considering being an instructor.

1. MOTIVATION. It requires time and effort to properly instruct, and candidates may find that the pay and required time is not worthwhile.
2. INSTRUCTOR MUST HAVE A DEGREE IN THE FIELD HE/SHE IS TEACHING.
3. MUST SIGN A CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT UPON AGREEMENT TO INSTRUCT.
4. INTERVIEW WITH PARK UNIVERSITY REPRESENTATIVE. At this time, instructor candidates will be given a copy of the Park University “School for Extended Learning Faculty Handbook” which details the duties and responsibilities of instructors.